Indian Stampede Kills 89

At least 89 people were killed Sunday in a stampede near a Hindu temple in central India—just one day after a huge cyclone forced nearly 600,000 people to flee their homes. According to witnesses, panic broke out as thousands pilgrims tried to cross a bridge on the Sindh river in Madhya Pradesh, with some of the victims being trampled to death and others dying as they tried to jump off the bridge into the river. Local officials said the cause of panic is still under investigation, but some witnesses pointed to rumors of the bridge giving way, while others blamed police using batons to control the crowd. The deadly stampede came just one day after the strongest cyclone in 14 years slammed India’s eastern coast, leaving a path of destruction by largely sparing lives.